Every year, Eco Hvar receives inquiries, complaints and pleas for help about lost, abandoned and ill-treated animals. Some of the inquiries come from islanders, the majority from Croatian and foreign guests. Most relate to dogs and cats on Hvar, but they have also included donkeys, horses and birds. A few inquiries come in from other islands and even distant parts of mainland Croatia.
Top ten topics:
1. Stray dogs wandering loose, looking hungry and lost
2. Lost dogs, reported by owners or finders
3. Dogs living in squalor without proper shelter from the sun, and without regular food and water
4. Dogs kept on a chain, barking and/or howling non-stop day and night
5. Dogs creating a nuisance, not kept under proper control
6. Cats abandoned in tourist resorts which close at the end of the summer season
7. Cats multiplying out of control
8. Tiny kittens abandoned and hungry
9. Sick cats and dogs
10. Cats making a mess in private or public places
What we do depends on the circumstances of each case:
1. We check the details of the situation, if we can, by visiting the place, and/or by making inquiries with local people
2. We contact the relevant authorities: the local Warden, local Vet, Veterinary Inspectors and/or Police
3. We take lost dogs to the Vet to check whether they are micro-chipped
4. We try to locate the owners of loose dogs
5. We try to find ways of influencing owners who keep their dogs in bad conditions
6. We take in abandoned dogs and try to find them homes
7. If necessary, we take unwanted dogs to the no-kill Animal Shelter (Animalis Centrum) in Kaštela near Split, which has an excellent success rate in finding them homes, and keeps us informed about the status of dogs from the island
8. As much as we can, we support other Charities and individuals working for animal welfare
9. We encourage cat and dog owners to have their pets sterilized
10. We encourage dog and cat owners to clean up after their animals (and other people's if necessary)
11. We take in (very few) cats, and try to find local solutions for those in need of food and care
12. We take sick dogs or cats to the Vet, if possible
13. We inform the people who have contacted us about the relevant laws which govern the situation, what action we have taken (or why we have been unable to do anything), and what the outcome has been (if any)
As there is no Animal Shelter for unwanted dogs or cats on the island, we are very limited in what we can do. However, the revised Law on Animal Protection (Zakon o zaštiti životinja NN 102 /2017) which came into force in October 2017 has made a difference: local authorities are now obliged to take greater action for animal welfare. This has helped the work of Charities like ours, but much remains to be done, so please support us, in whatever way you can!
© Vivian Grisogono MA(Oxon) 2018.
